Daily Positive Thoughts: April 02, 2017: Remaining focused

 

Famous debate moment: Bush, Sr. checks his watch in 1992

 

Remaining focused

Many of us have the tendency to postpone even the most important things to the last moment. We assume we will be able to get things done later. But sometimes the unexpected intervenes and everything collapses under the added strain.

When I remain focused I am able to prioritize. I understand that small tasks can be as important as the larger ones, and I make sure I get them done at the right time. I make sure I leave time for the unexpected, too. This lifts the pressure and allows me to give my best in every situation.

The Ego Sacrifice (Part 1)

Relationships are life’s primary treasure but they go the wrong way when there is a development of ego in either person in the relationship. You will find that people are always satisfied with those who are humble. Also the relationships of the ones, who are egoless, are problem-free and free of differences of opinions. It is also said that the relationship in which either person learns to sacrifice his or her ego at the right time and when required, is the one in which there is continuous peace and goodwill. Very often the only reason for blockages in a relationship is the inability to sacrifice the I, the me and the my. It sometimes seems very strange but love is lost in so many relationships because of the inability to mould and sacrifice the ego and become as the other person expects you to be. Differences of opinions are often seen in all relationships but to be able to solve them and rise above them is the challenge which actually every human being has to face at some point of time or the other. All of us desire for love filled relationships but are we able to make that much needed sacrificial bow? What that means? Something like – I lose or I am not always right or Please go ahead of me or You take charge or even accepting that - You are better than me.

Sometimes it is seen in many different types of relationships in the family or in the office, that at first everything is fine and then as time passes and two people come closer to each other, there are misunderstandings. The relationship becomes like a boat without a rudder and it loses its direction. Why does this happen and why not right at the beginning? Initially the hearts are close and everything is easy like making the sacrifice and becoming the less dominant person in the relationship. But slowly the two people will start understanding becomes filled with thorns of sorrow and personality clashes, taking each other for granted and what seemed a beautiful relationship full of  love.

(To be continued tomorrow …)

Transform regrets into realizations

and therefore ensure that what could become waste is made into something worthwhile.

Message for the day

As is the aim so is the qualification.

Thought to Ponder: If I have a high aim, I will set high standards for myself. I will make efforts to reach that aim. So the qualities that I imbibe will be of a great standard too. So, it is important that I constantly set high standards for myself and make my life qualitatively better.

Point to Practice: Today I will, in any one aspect, set an aim for myself. I will then check to see if I can do a bit better than what I think I can do right now. I will make sure I will set an aim for myself a bit higher than what I normally do. This will increase my qualities and will automatically keep me prepared for higher things.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 01, 2017: Look for Goodness

Daily Positive Thoughts: April 01, 2017: Look for Goodness

Look for Goodness

In everything, goodness is there. Our goal is to find it. In every person, the best is there. Our job is to recognize it. In every situation, the positive is there. Our opportunity is to see it. In every problem, the solution is there. Our responsibility is to provide it. In every setback, the success is there. Our adventure is to discover it. In every crisis, the reason is there. Our challenge is to understand it. By seeing the goodness, we'll be very enthusiastic and our lives will be richer.

Maintaining Your Self Esteem In Relationships

When a person is in love with another human, the marvelous thing about being in love is that it is a totally positive projection. There is a person who projects on to you all that is positive: you are marvelous, you are unique, you are indispensable, you are a treasure. That positive projection generates a euphoric state, of bliss, of wellbeing, whereby you are flying. You feel loved, cared for, needed and valued. That positive projection lasts for a time until, with the dependencies and expectations, the negative projection begins. You should have called me, you should have told me, you should have come at this time, you should be more like this, you should be less like that, you should have done this or that.

With these expectations, demands and dependencies, that positive projection and flying state disappear. The other has started interfering in your personal space and the harmony that was there previously is lost. One needs to learn to have a positive vision of oneself. You are marvelous, you are unique; don't depend on them telling you so. This does not mean you need to feed your ego, but that you need to make the most positive emerge from within you. Resort to all your creative, positive, spiritual capacity, so that you do not depend on others having to project positive things onto you in order to feel good. On feeling good in an independent and autonomous way, you will be able to share with others peace, love and positivism. You won't be in the state of a victim but will be true rulers and controllers of your own life with solid self-esteem.

How do you choose to see yourself?

See yourself as incapable and you won't know where to start.  

See yourself as awkward and you'll get nervous.  

How you see yourself is very important because it affects how you project yourself.  And as a result, it creates your reality.

So change how you choose to see yourself.

See yourself as confident and you tap into courage.  See yourself as capable and you'll make the best use of opportunities.

Message for the day

Love for positivity brings progress.

Expression:  When I have love for positivity, I will not be able to have negative thoughts for a long time. I will naturally put in effort, both internally and externally to come back to positivity. So this positivity spreads around to others too and serves in creating a positive environment.

Experience: Because of my love for positivity, I begin to enjoy creating and maintaining positive thoughts. When there is experience of positivity within, there is the natural desire to sustain it. Then no negative thoughts or feelings are encouraged. Slowly I find myself being only positive. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: March 31, 2017: Harmony

Daily Positive Thoughts: March 31, 2017: Harmony

Harmony

All things have their time. All things have their answers. All things have their right to be. Accepting this reality, all things come into harmony.

Overcoming Sorrow By Regaining My Original Texture Of Purity

Unless the soul regains its original sanskars of purity, it cannot escape suffering and grief. Purity is the foundation of peace and bliss. And for purity the soul requires the removal of every trace of negativity. Souls are burdened with the accumulated negative sanskars of their previous births, the extent of which varies from soul to soul. According to the law of karma, the soul has to experience suffering as a result of its wrongful acts. A pure soul does not suffer. The evidence that most human beings are bearing sorrow in some form or the other shows that nowadays souls are carrying a load of negative sanskars resulting from wrong actions committed in this and their past lives.
A question can be asked - Can a soul be relieved of all its past negative actions through suffering for the same in its present life?Not really, because due to the cyclic nature of the thought process there is a cumulative effect of negative sanskars which forces the soul to perform more negative actions than it can clear through suffering. That is why the degrees of purity of the soul decrease continuously. The downfall becomes steeper due to the cumulative effect of vices. Negative sanskars give rise to negative thoughts which lead to negative actions, resulting in the formation of still more negative sanskars. Thus, souls are caught in a downward spiral from which they are unable to release themselves. Meditation, however, opens the door to God, and through rising above all physical laws, one can set oneself free from the effects of all wrong actions. Through connection with the purest Supreme Soul, the sanskars of the soul are automatically purified and it moves further towards its original state of purity, peace and bliss.

Be Carefree

There is a crown of light on those who are carefree. 

If you are worrying about anything you carry the baskets of burden on your head. 

Which do you prefer? Do you prefer the basket or the crown of light?

Message for the day

Patience brings contentment.

Thought to Ponder: When I am patient with life's situations and people, I am able to appreciate the beauty of everything that is happening in my life. I am not caught up with the future, but am able to enjoy this moment and use it well. This automatically brings contentment in my life, without making me lazy.

Point to Practice: Today I will make patience my companion. When anything happens that I don't like, I just have to remind myself that I need to enjoy this moment and work to make my future better. I need not worry about what will happen or have fear of it.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: March 30, 2017: Good Relationships

Daily Positive Thoughts: March 30, 2017: Good Relationships

Good Relationships

In order to create good relationships... - with your mind, think about what you have to learn from others, - with your eyes, look into good qualities of others, - with your words, recognize, value and appreciate their accomplishments, - with your actions, cooperate and do something for others.

The Benefits Of Togetherness Over Isolation

Nowadays, there are more and more people who are choosing to live alone. Perhaps the reason for that are experiences in the past of pain, peacelessness, rejection, disappointment or failure when living together, in a relationship or even more than one relationship. As a result, the preference for living alone sets inside them. Perhaps, it is their alternative search for peace, happiness and success that leads them to make this decision. Also, the belief that if you live alone, you are free and you can do what you want, when you want and without having to explain yourself to anyone. But are we, as human beings, basically by nature, meant to live together or to live alone? Each human being has the need to belong and provide that feeling to others. You can belong to a family, a group of friends, a bunch of close school or college students, some office colleagues, a club, a community, a religious group etc. The mere presence of others; the participation, communication and collaboration with others; the assistance provided to others and received from them and the sharing of positive energy with others in a group; inspires and challenges us and others immensely. The same can happen, if we are staying alone, but to a limited extent. Greater inner spiritual empowerment takes place inside those who live and work together, not those who distance themselves from others. In a group, we broaden our limits and make our heart bigger when we do things for others that we wouldn't do for ourselves.

Each human being is a source of love for others. It is a basic human nature to love and be loved, which is not possible unless there is some kind of unity or mutual belonging. Distancing or isolating oneself implies an absence of love, neither given or shared, neither received.

I'm Sorry

"You were right. I was wrong. I'm sorry."  Can you willingly apologize when you're wrong?

Being right doesn't really matter.  But what does matter is acknowledging when you're wrong, taking responsibility and apologizing humbly.

Admitting you are wrong not only helps you to be more open-minded but it also enhances the quality of your relationships.

Message for the day

To remove waste is to ensure there is power to transform. 

Thought to Ponder: We do want to bring about a change in our lives, but most times we are not able to do so. This is because; a lot of thought energy is getting wasted in unnecessary things. Any thought which is not brought into action in the right way is waste. So, we need to check and change such thoughts, so that there is power to change. 

Point to Practice: Today I will check the quality of my thoughts from time to time (at least 5 times today). If I find myself thinking something that is not useful (it may not necessarily be a negative thought), I will change it with a nice positive thought. This practice will help me recognize what is waste, and then work to change it too.

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris

Daily Positive Thoughts: March 29, 2017: Caring Heart

Daily Positive Thoughts: March 29, 2017: Caring Heart

Caring Heart

I express my care and concern by responding to situations with a cool head and to people with a warm heart. If I remain aware that as fellow human beings we are all part of one family, and that even the smallest of gestures can make a difference in people's lives, I am always blessed with a caring heart. It takes so little to show that I care yet it can mean so much.

Detached Observation – A Spiritual Skill

Detachment is the basis of our ability to be positive and affectionate with others while we interact with them. This is what is known as commitment and the relationship of detachment and it begins with what is known as a spiritual skill: the skill of being a detached observer.

One needs to be a detached observer in two dimensions: one within and one outside:

The inner art of detached observation is the ability of separating ourselves from our own thoughts, emotions, attitudes and behavior. On the external level, the art of detached observation is the art of being witness to the scenes that take place around us. While we detach ourselves and observe how the game of life develops, without being active participants, we are able to see the big picture with greater clarity. That makes it easier to see clearly what role we have to play and where our contribution lies. We are creators, and our thoughts, emotions and attitudes are our own work.

In reality, detached observation is the first step towards personal strengthening. If we don't manage to detach ourselves from our thoughts and emotions, they will turn into our owners and will consume our energy.

Mirror of your consciousness

Only in relationship can you know yourself, not in abstraction and certainly not in isolation. 

The movement of behaviour is the sure guide to yourself, it's the mirror of your consciousness; this mirror will reveal its content, the images, the attachments, the fears, the loneliness, the joy and sorrow.

Poverty lies in running away from this, either in its sublimations or its identities.

Message for the day

When words are sweet, there is a positive impact.

Thought to Ponder: Sweet words are like flowers, when given to others brings happiness and spread love. On the other hand, harsh words are like stones that hurt. Harsh words emerge when there is some weakness working within me. Harsh words means that in some way I am feeling helpless and am resorting to something which is not so constructive.

Point to Practice: Today I will not say anything that is not sweet. If a situation does arise where I have to say something not so good and nice, I will move away from there. Till I am sure that I will not speak such words, I will not come back to that situation. In fact, I will try and resolve that point in my mind so that I don't speak anything negative. 

In Spiritual Service,
Brahma Kumaris